Chelsea face the prospect of a tantalizing London derby on Boxing Day as they travel north to face struggling Arsenal.
After a slight change of form, with defeats to Everton and Wolves in the Premier League, Frank Lampard’s men came back to victory last time around with a comfortable 3-0 win over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
This has seen the Blues return to the top of the top four, and Chelsea now face a Gunners side who are going through a rough patch to say the least. Mikel Arteta’s side are 15th and have lost eight of their 14 Premier League games played.
Here, 90 mins chooses the side of Chelsea that could pile up more misery.
Édouard Mendy (GK) – Rennes’s summer signing has established themselves as Chelsea’s number one, having kept six clean sheets in ten Premier League games so far.
Reece James (RB) – It’s easy to tell if James will be available on Boxing Day. He’s the first choice, but Cesar Azpilicueta waits behind the scenes.
Kurt Zouma (CB) – The Frenchman has regained some consistency this campaign and looks like a real force behind. A worthy starter against Arsenal on Saturday.
Thiago Silva (CB) – The former Paris Saint-Germain defender scored the opening goal against West Ham and gave Lampard much needed experience in central defense.
Emerson (LB) – Ben Chilwell came out early against West Ham with an ankle injury and playing against Arsenal is doubtful. Emerson has come in his place and will likely do the same on Boxing Day.
N’Golo Kante (DM) – The Frenchman was excellent against West Ham, ending the game with 90% passing accuracy. The glue that holds everything together.
Mateo Kovacic (CM) – Jorginho played against West Ham from the start, but struggled to master the procedures in midfield. Les Bleus looked better when Kovacic arrived, and a start should be his reward.
Mason frame (CM) – A regular fixture in Lampard’s starting XI, Mount is almost certain to start over after securing an assist last time around.
⚽️⚽️ Tammy Abraham has scored twice in less than 2 minutes after scoring just 1 goal in her last 12 home PL applications
This is his second multi-goal match in 24 PL applications at Stamford Bridge (also against Sheffield Utd, August 2019) pic.twitter.com/UdniQCHfQM
– Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 21, 2020
Christian Pulisic (RW) – The USA international was a brilliant spark following his return to fitness and could get the nod again before returning to the bench.
Tammy Abraham (ST) – Olivier Giroud is in great contact, so it’s a difficult choice for Lampard at the top. Abraham has scored twice against West Ham, and it’s hard to see his boss let him down as a result of the performance.
Timo Werner (LW) – The German has admitted to having been through a slight crisis of confidence, but he is too good to continue struggling for much longer. His pace and movements will disrupt Arsenal’s fragile defense.
